TCU offered students the option to take all of their courses online this semester, and some decided to do so from Fort Worth.

Chase Leslie, a senior news and media studies and political science double major, said he already signed a lease for the fall and wanted a change of scenery.

“I wasn’t going to find anyone to fill it, and it was already a loss, so why not just be here,” he said. “I just wanted a break from my parents honestly; it’s nice to be here.”

Alexis VanBaarle, a senior biology and anthropology double major, also said she was tired of being at home and needed to come back to TCU as soon as possible.

“I really missed campus and being at home had become too much for me,” said VanBaarle.

Leslie, a graduating senior, said although the situation is less than ideal, he still wanted to spend his last semester on campus.

“It is my final semester, so I wanted to spend it at Texas Christian,” he said. “I was expecting to spend this semester having a little bit more fun, but you can’t really do that with COVID.”

Although both students said the decision to come back was easy, they still expressed concerns regarding the coronavirus.

“Usually I go to the library to study, and now I am scared to go to the library because people don’t wear masks,” VanBaarle said.

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Dr. Kimberly Owczarski, an associate professor in the film-TV-digital media department, said it does not make sense for every student to return to campus, but that it’s important to come back if possible.

“It depends on where you’re from and the safety of where you’re from,” she said. “It’s really hard online to build community, especially for our freshman and transfer students.”

TCU is allowing students to choose between in-person, online or hybrid classes for the spring semester.

VanBaarle said safety is the most important priority and she is okay with taking another semester of all online classes.

“I would absolutely want to go back to in-person classes, but because of people who don’t wear masks and sickness, I would be okay with it online,” said VanBaarle.